O
ovs
Guest
As we near the close of Beta testing (well, we may or may not be... but I'm not tellin' ya'!! 
), I just wanted to lay out some advice for all of you that have been paitently waiting with us, and for us. You will be rewarded with some of the most realistic, gut-wrenching, exciting and sometimes frustrating air combat the home simmer has yet to see. But with that, you must understand, as some have asked already, OFF is NOT an arcade shooter where you're going to rack-up 100's of kills in a 6 month period. Unlike Phase 2, which had WWII AI flying WWI planes, Phase 3 matched WWI optimized AI with optimized WWI FM's and allowed the computer a much more balanced and evenly distributed fighting platform. They are not to be taken lightly at any level, and are killers waiting for fresh meat.
So with that in mind....
1. Follow Ditca Boelcke. The basic rules of combat any pilot whether Hun, Krumpet, Frog or Yank, should know front to back. Whenever I don't apply these rules... I die.
2. Remain cautious, and paitent. There is no doubt a sense of urgency you will feel during combat with Phase 3. It will challenge every bit of aggression you have in you. You WILL see squadmate burst into flames, and die. You WILL see aces attack aces and die, and you WILL see your assigned protection targets attacked while you try to fend off the enemy. Remain paitent at all times. If you don't... refer to rule 1.
3. Allow ample time for the mission to develop. Try to avoid using warp, it ruins the fun of forming up, gaining altitude and going over the mud in a group. In fact, it ruins the whole game. Because Aces are in a seperate flight, they will fly their assigned route around the drome prior to heading to the target, you too have the same route however, warping skips you through it and you loose site of the Aces. Refer to rule #2, if not followed... back to rule #1.
4. Keep your Situational Awareness as your number 1 priority. There is nothing more important in a Combat sim as SA!!! That means you know where you are, where the enemy is and their relative position to you! Do NOT LOOSE THAT! Flying MMP or any Multiplayer situation, that point is drilled into you with reckless abandon. Phase 3 is much like flying online. The AI is VERY good and will not think twice about trying to confuse you with specific maneuvers and tactics. Good sense of SA will keep you alive... again refer to rule#2.... if not follow... #1.
5. Plan your escape route before combat is engaged. Know where you are, where to run, where to land in an emergency, and what the terrain is. Where are the lines? How do I get out of this? How do I get home? In Phase 3, you CAN use the mountains as cover, the trees to block their shot... etc. Realize everything around you can either be your friend, or your enemy. Duck behind that farmhouse if you are being chased, or slide into a valley to build-up speed for a tight rudder turn. The combat is from sky to ground. Again... rule #4... rule #2... rule#1.
6. If attacking ground targets... follow a pattern of cover, get in, hit the target and GET OUT!! Don NOT linger. A pattern of cover can be trees, buildings, the sun, whatever, but do not stand over the target, and then dive on it. The AA is deadly over targets and will make swiss cheese out of you. You want to save your ammo and crate for a fight, not give it up in an attack of a balloon or hangar.
7. Lastly, If you are NOT in combat, and your wingmen are... protect them. Oversee them, keep them in the fight, and help them. Grow your men if you can, however, keep distance, they are aggresive and have been known to mid-air collide as I found out. Give plenty of room.
Hopefully Phase 3 will be in your mailboxes very soon. I can only offer that as suggestion as we have done our best to give you a bugless, seemless product which will keep your senses engulfed for years to come.
As a 10 year Veteran of 'true' WWI simming, and 2 years of active on line combat, these points are my best advice to you when you play BHAH. The rest is up to you. You will be in the cockpit soon...hang in there... and good luck!
OvS
), I just wanted to lay out some advice for all of you that have been paitently waiting with us, and for us. You will be rewarded with some of the most realistic, gut-wrenching, exciting and sometimes frustrating air combat the home simmer has yet to see. But with that, you must understand, as some have asked already, OFF is NOT an arcade shooter where you're going to rack-up 100's of kills in a 6 month period. Unlike Phase 2, which had WWII AI flying WWI planes, Phase 3 matched WWI optimized AI with optimized WWI FM's and allowed the computer a much more balanced and evenly distributed fighting platform. They are not to be taken lightly at any level, and are killers waiting for fresh meat.So with that in mind....
1. Follow Ditca Boelcke. The basic rules of combat any pilot whether Hun, Krumpet, Frog or Yank, should know front to back. Whenever I don't apply these rules... I die.
2. Remain cautious, and paitent. There is no doubt a sense of urgency you will feel during combat with Phase 3. It will challenge every bit of aggression you have in you. You WILL see squadmate burst into flames, and die. You WILL see aces attack aces and die, and you WILL see your assigned protection targets attacked while you try to fend off the enemy. Remain paitent at all times. If you don't... refer to rule 1.
3. Allow ample time for the mission to develop. Try to avoid using warp, it ruins the fun of forming up, gaining altitude and going over the mud in a group. In fact, it ruins the whole game. Because Aces are in a seperate flight, they will fly their assigned route around the drome prior to heading to the target, you too have the same route however, warping skips you through it and you loose site of the Aces. Refer to rule #2, if not followed... back to rule #1.
4. Keep your Situational Awareness as your number 1 priority. There is nothing more important in a Combat sim as SA!!! That means you know where you are, where the enemy is and their relative position to you! Do NOT LOOSE THAT! Flying MMP or any Multiplayer situation, that point is drilled into you with reckless abandon. Phase 3 is much like flying online. The AI is VERY good and will not think twice about trying to confuse you with specific maneuvers and tactics. Good sense of SA will keep you alive... again refer to rule#2.... if not follow... #1.
5. Plan your escape route before combat is engaged. Know where you are, where to run, where to land in an emergency, and what the terrain is. Where are the lines? How do I get out of this? How do I get home? In Phase 3, you CAN use the mountains as cover, the trees to block their shot... etc. Realize everything around you can either be your friend, or your enemy. Duck behind that farmhouse if you are being chased, or slide into a valley to build-up speed for a tight rudder turn. The combat is from sky to ground. Again... rule #4... rule #2... rule#1.
6. If attacking ground targets... follow a pattern of cover, get in, hit the target and GET OUT!! Don NOT linger. A pattern of cover can be trees, buildings, the sun, whatever, but do not stand over the target, and then dive on it. The AA is deadly over targets and will make swiss cheese out of you. You want to save your ammo and crate for a fight, not give it up in an attack of a balloon or hangar.
7. Lastly, If you are NOT in combat, and your wingmen are... protect them. Oversee them, keep them in the fight, and help them. Grow your men if you can, however, keep distance, they are aggresive and have been known to mid-air collide as I found out. Give plenty of room.
Hopefully Phase 3 will be in your mailboxes very soon. I can only offer that as suggestion as we have done our best to give you a bugless, seemless product which will keep your senses engulfed for years to come.
As a 10 year Veteran of 'true' WWI simming, and 2 years of active on line combat, these points are my best advice to you when you play BHAH. The rest is up to you. You will be in the cockpit soon...hang in there... and good luck!
OvS
Good thing is,the year is almost over